I was sad to see high school go, as I made tons of friends and had great connections with the staff. I excelled in classes and had quite the list of accomplishments. In college, I expected no less of myself, however, it has been hard to make friends and excel in my classes. I am so grateful to have the CODES program to meet people and connect with university staff. CODES has so many resources for first generation college students, like myself.
I have lived here my whole life and am still living at home, so it is hard for me to put myself out there and try new things. I work off campus at Texas Roadhouse in Shiloh. I started when I was freshly 16 but quickly made my way up the food chain. I started out on the ToGo team and eventually hosting as well. I started during COVID, so many things still unsure. My mom has several autoimmune diseases, and my entire family was extremely cautious with who we interacted with. I was always worried I was exposed to COVID and calling off of work. The more time went by, the more I realized how vital it was to show up and be a team player.
I have met so many incredible people along my Texas Roadhouse journey, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. This summer, I went to Chicago with some of my work friends and had the time of my life. It was interesting to go away without any “adults” for once. The only vacations I’ve been on were with parents tagging along. It’s expensive! I really didn’t realize how expensive it is to stay (and park) in a hotel, especially in downtown Chicago. This experience was freeing. I was able to make my own decisions and be (financially) by myself. Of course, I didn’t want to spend a ton of money but I was proud I could afford to go to a big city for a week.
Although this experience didn’t happen during this semester, I still believe it has made me grow into the leader I am today. Every summer, all the Texas Roadhouses in our area hosts an event called Trainer Olympics. Essentially, all of the trainers from all the stores have a field day. There are tons of team bonding events and some to really get your brain working. I was there and had a great time pushing my team to do their best. (Even though we didn’t win… not even close)
When I started this semester, I was mainly a waitress and a head hostess. In September, I was offered a manager position. I was ecstatic because I was only 19 years old and I was already at the top. I gladly accepted the position and have been making strides to learn ever since. It took some time, but now I am confident in answering any questions guests or even staff have. This truly shows my love of sharing knowledge and leading a team. I am studying business administration. I love to be in charge. That sounds awful, but I enjoy learning new things and teaching others. Texas Roadhouse has been a great learning experience and I can’t wait to see what other tips I learn to be a better leader.
